Admiring the Color and Nose of the Batasiolo Moscato

Last week, with the help of a Twitter colleague, I had the honor of meeting one of her clients, Fiorenzo Dogliani, CEO of Piedmont wine producer Beni di Batasiolo.   The Dogliani family has grown wine for three generations and was one of the earliest exporters of Barolo to the United States, dating from the early 1970′s. Their main calling cards are the Barolos they make from single vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba and La Morra. They also make wine from the Barbera , Dolcetto and Moscato grapes, including their own Moscato Rose clone from Trentino Alto Adige and their own Moscato Bianco grapes from the Langhe.

Through Ricardo March, Batasiolo’s US Sales Director who also happens to be Mr. Dogliani’s interpreter, I was informed that  part of what makes the wines of his region so individualistic were the complex, multi-layered soils where his grapes are planted.  Marl, clay, fossils and sandstone all influence the grapes’ character and the textures of these wines once tasted.

We started with a Gavi (100 % Cortese grapes), which I would describe as having a straw color, a slight green rim, medium-plus body and aromas of white flowers (daisies?) and pears, and tart lemon on the palate.  This would make a natural apertif or a perfect pairing with antipasto.

The Barbera d’Alba featured black, sour cherries on the palate, medium plus (almost high) acid (think 4.5 on a five point range) and medium to medium plus tannins and complexity.  This one finished a little bitter for me.

We also tried one of their family’s Barbarescos, from the 2008 vintage. I could definitely make out a yellow rim around the ruby core of this one.  I picked up more of an herb and oak component immediately on the nose, and Mr. March  confirmed that this was aged in a combination of Slovenian oak and French barriques for one year, plus an additional one year of bottle aging.  This was the most complex wine in our tasting, and I would recommend strong aged cheeses to pair with it.

My favorites were the Moscatos we saved for last, both a white and a Rose. These were serious Moscatos, not like the more generic ones becoming popular in the North American markets. The nose on both of these evoked roses and violets and a brisk spring breeze, if that makes any sense!  The finish on both of these were long and lingering.

Thank you, Katie, for introducing me and my readers to the wines of Beni di Batasiolo.  If you try one of their wines here in Chicago, please send me an email with your tasting notes!  (We enjoyed these wines at Rosebud on Rush Street, where they are readily available.)

Thomas Morgan who writes Drink What You Like, started me with some basics:

• Virginia is the fifth largest wine producing state.
• Virginia is home to over 180 wineries, and growing quickly.
• Six American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).
• Over 2,500 acres under vine.
• Chardonnay is the most planted white varietal inVirginia; Cabernet Franc the most planted red.
• Though the subject of much debate and opinion, the varietals that seem to thrive here inVirginia are Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Viognier, and Petit Manseng.

I sent emails with questions about Virginia wine to several local experts, and they all responded with very thoughtful, thorough responses:

VIRGINIA WINE HISTORY

“Virginians have made wine for more than four centuries. The Jamestown settlers had such hopes thatVirginia would become a major source of wine for the British Empire that in 1619 they signed into law a requirement for each male settler to plant and tend at least ten grape vines.  Little came of it.  Every effort to grow vinifera, or vines of European origin, met with failure from an unknown pest, Phylloxera, as well as diseases in a new environment.  The booming tobacco trade diluted British interest in the possibilities of American wine.  Americans themselves lost interest.  While fine wine could be had only from Europe, whiskey, beer and brandy were plentiful.”

“In hopes of one day realizing the promise of fineVirginia wines, Thomas Jefferson cultivated European grapes for more than 30 years.  His Monticello vineyards never produced a single bottle of wine from his years of vineyard trials. He wasn’t alone in trying.  After 11 years of efforts at Mount Vernon, George Washington too, had nothing to show for it.”

“In the 1820s, wines made from Native American grapes met with great success.  Then a Virginia Norton wine was named “best red wine of all nations” at the Vienna World’s Fair in 1873.  Plus a gold medal for Norton at the Paris World’s Fair of 1889 when the Eiffel tower was constructed.  The discovery in the late 1800s that native and European vines could be grafted gave Virginia’s nascent wine industry a lift – but in the early 20th century, Prohibition promptly brought it to a standstill.  The industry was slow to bounce back. Some 17 years after Prohibition’s repeal,Virginia had all of 15 acres of commercial wine grapes.”

“In the late-1950s, experimental plantings of vinifera showed promise.  With the establishment of six new wineries in the 1970s, the recovery was officially underway.  A renewed effort to grow a European Chardonnay succeeded at the Waverly Estate in Middleburg in 1973.  Then in 1976, Italian pioneer vintner Gianni Zonin hired Gabriele Rausse to grow and harvest vinifera grapes near Charlottesville.  He established Barboursville Vineyards and then helped other vineyards do the same.  By 1995,Virginia had 46 wineries.  By 2005, 107.  At 192 wineries and counting today, onlyCalifornia, New York, Oregon and Washington have more wineries thanVirginia.  The persistence of generations of winemakers is paying off.  And the vision of one ofVirginia’s most renowned native sons, Thomas Jefferson, is now coming true.”

Matthew Finot of King Family Vineyards

CLIMATE PATTERNS IN VIRGINIA

“Climate is a major issue in Virginiaand makes growing grapes very challenging.  And yes, these conditions vary across the state. Grapes are grown in all regions of the state, and there is one tasting room (Holly Grove) that has ocean views.  On the left side, grapes are grown in the Shenandoah Mountains where temperatures have dropped to allow one winery to produce a true ice wine.  These two areas benefit from large Diurnal temperature fluctuations – the cool sea air and wind cools the costal grapes whereas the Mountains produce the same affect for western growers.”

“However the majority of wineries and vineyards are located in the central part of the state surrounding Charlottesville and in LoudounCountyand the Route 66 corridor west ofWashingtonD.C.  These areas experience a much smaller Diurnal temperature fluctuation yet produce the most celebratedVirginia wines.”

“Yet all regions experience temperamental weather.  In the spring, a late frost after initial bud break is a possibility.  Two of our favorite wineries, Corcorcan Vineyards and Fabbioli Cellars, lost virtually their entire crop from a late spring frost.  Then, summer commences with hot and humid conditions.  The grapes must be pruned in order to allow for air flow between clusters to avoid moisture from turning into mold or rot.  One reason Cabernet Franc is so prevalent is that it has loose clusters and thick skins – alleviating some of the problems caused by humidity.  And finally, late summer and fall can also be associated with heavy rain and perhaps a hurricane.  If the grape ripens late, the increased rain may increase juice levels and dilute the overall concentration.”

Todd Godbout of Virginia Wine TV.Com

HIGHLIGHTS OF VIRGINIA WINERIES

“I believe that the largest producers in Virginia are Williamsburg Winery (about 65K cases) and Prince Michel Vineyard & Winery (about 40K cases).  The winery of the most renown – and one of the originals, now several decades old – is Barboursville Vineyards, while Linden Vineyards earns tremendous respect and acclaim because of the winemaking practices of owner/winemaker Jim Law.  Horton Vineyards is known as a maverick for growing new varietals; they were among the first doing Viognier and Cabernet Franc, and of course those are now some of Virginia’s strongest growers.  Chrysalis Vineyards has the world’s largest Norton vineyard.  Boxwood Winery is gaining a following for its Bordeaux-style bottlings and its modern, chrome-and-glass (appointment only) winery and tasting room.”

Nancy Bauer of Virginia Wine in My Pocket

WHAT GRAPES GROW BEST?

“Virginia has six AVAs and many microclimates, and different grapes do well in different vineyards, of course.  Even after decades of growing, winemakers are still expanding their knowledge in this area.  Cabernet Franc has been a star inVirginia for a long time, and Viognier has just been named the signature varietal for the state, so you’ll see even more of that being produced.  Petit Verdot is an up and comer that does well in many areas and winemakers are doing great things with it.  Lots of vineyards struggle with Cabernet Sauvignon here, though Chardonnay grows well.”

Nancy Bauer

GAINING ATTENTION

 “Washington, DC restaurants are slowly becoming aware of Virginia wines, as are restaurants throughout our state.  Lately the First Lady, Maureen McDonnell, has conducted marketing tours to restaurants and retailers to showcase Virginia wines.  She has had some success, but with slow progress.  Some DC restaurants carrying our wines include OYA, SAX, Smith Commons and Cajun Experience.”

Todd Godbout

Thanks to all who participated in my interviews.  If you have tasted a Virginia wine recently (particularly if you were able to find one here in Illinois!), please email me your tasting notes, or comment in the space below.  And check out this gallery that Mr. Godbout kindly forwarded:

Wine Compass gallery

Wine Bloggers Conference logo

Monday night, I returned from the Wine Bloggers Conference, this year held in Charlottesville, Virginia.  This was my second time attending this event, now in its fourth year.

As a cost for benefit proposition, the Wine Bloggers Conference provides great information and value for its registration fee.  For $95.00, participants receive two dinners (one a buffet, the other a five course sit-down), a visit to two vineyards (transportation provided), the opportunity to hear two speakers with worldwide followings for their wine knowledge and at least half a dozen tasting events (and those are just the official ones).

Oh, and you can also meet in person over three hundred of the most enthused, knowledgeable, but non-snobby (most of them) writers on any given topic.  And their collective work can be revisited 24/7 online.

That’s probably my favorite aspect; the hugs, the trading of business cards, the placing of names with faces, especially those I have only known by names such as @willdrinkforwine.

Participants and readers of this blog should remember that many of the expenses of this weekend-long conference are paid for by sponsors.  That’s not inherently evil; but hopefully just declaring that fact will keep me from writing in too starstruck a tone when describing some of my favorite events.

Multi-day events such as WBC are only successful with the help of professional organizers and volunteers working together.  The company that created and oversees WBC is Zephyr Adventures, which has planned outdoor tours and conferences since 1997.  Maybe they have minions of elves working in the background, but I only counted three of their employees on site during the weekend.  It reminds me how much pre-planning must take place behind the scenes, from negotiating with a host hotel, (in our case, the reliably chilly and oddly shaped Omni) ensuring the Wi-Fi was working, reaching out to wineries and Chamber of Commerce types around the country, to ensuring comfortable sixty-eight degree weather in Charlottesville the entire weekend (OK, no one is perfect).  Just navigating the featured wines through the Commonwealth of Virginia’s legal thickets in one piece gives Zephyr additional brownie points, along with maintaining a website since last winter with updated WBC news and gossip.

Someone had to stuff all these bags!

And plenty of past conference attendees stepped up to help during the event, and to offer financial aid to bloggers in need of extra funds.  I am very grateful to have won a scholarship which paid for my Omni stay.  Thank you Thea Dwelle and the rest of the Scholarship Committee!  I promise to pay it forward in future years.

Here are some of my favorite memories of the past weekend:

SPEED TASTING:

Twelve wines, sixty minutes.  Five minutes maximum on each.

I tried to approach this from the perspective of a sommelier or wine buyer for my favorite store.  They have to make quick judgements on wine every day!  The next time I read a tweet from a wine director along the lines of “Tasting forty Burgundys back to back; only have room to add five to the list!”, I may feel a little sorry for her!  I tired to use my WSET Tasting Grid as a template (didn’t have one in front of me though), and focused on each wine’s main aspects (body, alcohol, ageability, main fruit characteristics, finish), and fit as much as I could into 140 Twitter letters.

And oh yes, I spit.  Up until now, I am a little ashamed to admit, my motto at wine events might have been “If I’m not driving, I’m drinking!”  But spitting actually helped keep my palate focused, and I learned that it helped me observe the finish even more clearly than if I swallowed.  My tasting notes will hopefully become more descriptive and accurate.

Here’s a suggestion for WBC if Speed Tasting returns next year.  Let’s try tasting the wines blind next time.  (And no talking to your tablemates while you’re tasting!)  Reveal all the wines at the end, and then give participants an hour to meet the winemakers and learn more specifics about what was poured.

MEET VIRGINIA (AND SEVERAL OTHER STATES NOT NAMED CALIFORNIA, OREGON OR WASHINGTON)

This event was the first time I have tasted wines from “unfamiliar” wine areas such as Indiana (the white Traminette grape; very light-colored and light-bodied, is prominent there), Texas and Maryland.  From our host state, I enjoyed their representation of Cabernet Franc the most; the examples I tried on my tour from Jefferson Vineyards and Keswick Vineyards featured high acid and less of the green pepper and other vegatal notes I notice when I taste the same grape from the Loire Valley.  It reminded me that I should learn more about Illinois wines even if I couldn’t honestly champion my home state every time I try one.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Our Aroma Collection

On Friday, we chose two hour long sessions out of five offered.  My first choice was “Drinking Local”; a thorough look at the challenges, many of them legal, logistical, and philosophical, to encourage more consumers to support local wineries.  Next up was “Aromas of Wine”, hosted by Master of Wine Sheri Sauter Morano.  She gave us a fun exercise involving a tray of various items to smell, and a flight a wines to blind taste.  As you can see from my score sheet; I need a little more practice matching aromas to specific wines!

I need more practice, I guess!

DINNER AND AWARDS NIGHT

Here’s the menu from our Saturday evening meal. 

After an afternoon of tasting, it felt a little overwhelming to face another table filled with wines to try.  A little palate fatigue had set in by five p.m. (I felt bad for the presenters of the Cognac tasting in the lobby).  I did enjoy how each of the winemakers who had a wine included in our meal was given a chance to introduce his or her contribution.

The authors of the best wine blog writing this past year were honored after dinner, hosted by a local sommelier.  I’m still stuck in neutral regarding my feelings about award ceremonies, but if we’re going to celebrate the best at our craft, let’s put on a real show!  Over three hundred wine bloggers in the house and not one Billy Crystal amongst us?  Please.  I have seen many of you late at night.  I can think of several bloggers who would make a great host for next year’s awards.  Maybe we can have newbie WBC attendees introduce each of the nominees.  How about less of a rush job next year?   

Here’s a link to this year’s winners, all well deserved!

http://wineblogawards.org/

THOUGHTS ON MY SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY

To compete for one of the scholarship awards, I submitted a short essay with my reasons for wanting to attend.  In my composition, I expressed curiosity about Virginia wines, due to the bottles I have enjoyed when my sister from Alexandria visits during the holidays.  I was hopeful I could bring good tidings of all these local wines back to my sommelier and distributor friends.  I’ll still mention my favorites to them, but won’t get too disappointed if these wines don’t suddenly become available in Chicago wine stores.

I learned during the Drink Local discussion that Virginia wines are often a hard sell even in the greater Washington area (just two hours away).

Also, Virginia has only a finite land mass appropriate for grape growing (and of course, much smaller than California!)  Fine wine is not the same as great music or literature; you can’t just turn on a faucet or a printer and make more product.

I would love to see a statistic explaining what percentage of all wine bottles produced throughout the world is consumed less than one hundred miles from the wine’s source.  And how that percentage has changed over time.  Thanks to improved trading channels, I’m sure that number has declined but by how much?

If you’re curious about what grapes hold the most promise in Virginia, I hope you check out these sites:

www.virginiawine.org

www.virginiawinetv.com

and my upcoming blog post on the topic.  And encourage your state to enact more consumer-friendly policies on interstate wine shipping.

And consider at least a weekend retreat in Charlottesville, to drink some of their best wines right at the source.

CONCLUSIONS:

The organizers of WBC did one of their jobs (keep things moving) almost too well.  Meaning, I wish they built some down time into the schedule.  There are several ways to accomplish this.

My first suggestion is admittedly a lightening rod.  But seriously consider dropping the keynote addresses.  WBC is enough of a brand name now that the absence of a celebrity speaker shouldn’t affect its box office too much.

Second, consider adding a fourth day to the conference.  I know there was an unofficial “pre-tasting” Thursday night, but I wouldn’t have minded some light discussion forum that afternoon/evening.  For those who don’t want to commit to an additional day of vacation, price each day separately (maybe offer Thursday and Sunday at half the price of Friday and Saturday, with the option of buying the whole weekend at a discount).

Have multiple events occurring at the same time.  As a blogger, it wouldn’t bother me that I couldn’t attend everything.  If WBC featured a themed tasting, a brainiac discussion about viticulture, and a look at some industry issue (“What the Wine Industry Can Learn From High School Juniors”) simultaneously, I could decide what interested me the most and (more importantly) socialize later on with attendees of the events I missed.

Maybe this is the wine nerd side of me coming out, but I would prefer more content created by bloggers, for bloggers.  And schedule them at multiple times.  Shorter, smaller, faster discussions on ideas the WBC Community suggest are a good way to break up the tastings.  Consider offering a small registration discount for the first twenty signups who submit an outline for a thirty minute presentation.

WILL I RETURN IN 2012?

I’m excited about the location of next year’s conference (Portland, Oregon), but not sure yet if I’ll attend.  With my Advanced WSET level knocked off (finally!) I’m now more interested in the economic/scientific/sociological aspects of my favorite beverage (ironically, when I first heard about WBC in 2008, I was concerned the conference would be too academic for me!)  My next “fact-finding” wine vacation will probably have more focused a theme than the scattershot approach of WBC.  But if you’re a wine blogger who has never attended before, or are involved in the trade as a winemaker, importer or sommelier, you should definitely make your reservations for Portland from August 17-19, 2012.

Turn up your speakers for this one!  (Mainly because the recording levels were so soft!) 

Master Sommelier and author Alpana Singh (Alpana Pours) has expanded her role.  She is still the Director of Wine and Spirits at the Lettuce Entertainment You portfolio of restaurants.  She still hosts the PBS restaurant review program Check Please Now with, Lettuce Wine Cellars, she aims to share with her fans her most recent wine discoveries.  Every month she will offer selections from a different region; some you may recognize from Lettuce restaurants, others will be new to our market. 

In this audio interview, she describes her inspiration for her new project:

Alpana Singh – 7-8-11

This wine came as a pleasant surprise.  It has a very citrusy nose and body without the mouthfeel I get in some Chenins of candle wax or WD-40.  You can read more about the wine at the Arabella website.

Also, here’s the link for Jodi Glickman’s excellent book about communicating at work, which I mention in this video.  I’ve already started reading it; it may help me get promoted or at least make these videos look and sound a little more professional!

P.S.:  My other wine videos are on my YouTube page; I just haven’t transferred them to this blog yet.

Hope you are tasting along with a wine evaluation grid; the one from my WSET wine class is a great one to use!  Here’s a link for you to download:

WSET Tasting Grid (Advanced)

Map of Veneto, Including Provinces Verona, Venezia and Treviso

Come join me on Tuesday, June 28 for two free tastings featuring the wines from Veneto, Italy.  This region is home to iconic wines such as Amarone, Soave and Prosecco.  The Italian Trade Commission and representatives from five Italian provinces from this region have designed a thorough website at www.winesofveneto.com to familiarize those unfamiliar with their history of winemaking.

Here’s more information on both events:

From 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.:

Treasure Island – Hyde Park (1526 East 55th Street)

“From Sparkling to Sweet:  The Multiple Treasures of the Wines of Veneto”

From 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Benny’s Chop House (444 North Wabash Avenue)

“Sparkling Veneto! – Celebrate Independence Day 2011 with Prosecco and Other Sparkling Wines of Veneto”

A Scene from a previous ThirstyGirl Party!

Friday night, May 13, please join me for the first ThirstyGirl event.  Our host, Chicago native Leslie Sbrocco, is the author of Wine for Women, and she’s currently working on Adventures of a Thirsty Girl, due for release in 2012.

Both men and women are encouraged to mix and mingle at SushiSamba, enjoy their unique take on sushi and sashimi. and taste seven wines Leslie selected with thirsty girls (and guys!) in mind!  I am especially excited to try the Cambria Chardonnay, since I have enjoyed their Pinot Noir so much in the past.  Other wines featured will come from Clos du Bois, La Crema, Gloria Ferrer, Ravenswood, MatuaValley, and Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Our hostess is author and frequent Today Show guest, Leslie Sbrocco!

Time for the event is 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., and the location for SushiSamba is 504 North Wells Street.  Tickets are available for $31.74 at http://tgchicagolive.eventbrite.com.  Use the code “TGME” for $5.00 off.

And please check out Leslie’s website at www.ThirstyGirl.com.  Again, men as well as women are welcome!

I'll be joining these winemakers and journalist Jane Anson (far right) at 676 Restaurant on April 28. I hope you will join us!

Come meet Jane Anson, Bordeaux correspondent for Decanter magazine, and six winemakers from this iconic region at two special Chicago events.  It’s an opportunity have all your questions answered about winemaking in this iconic region. How difficult is it to start a new winery?  Why is en primeur still important?  And does anyone blend with Malbec anymore?

On April 27, at 6:00 p.m., join them at Just Grapes (550 West Washington Blvd.) for a class and tasting of their wines.  And then on April 28 at 676 Restaurant (676 North Michigan, Fourth Floor) for a tasting at 6:00 p.m., followed by a three course dinner at 7:30 p.m.  I am honored to be Ms. Anson’s guest for the Thursday event.

To register for the Just Grapes tasting call Don Sritong (312-627-9463, cost is $25.00).  Cost for the 676 tasting and dinner is $49.00 and you can reserve your space at the Salut! Meetup page at http://www.meetup.com/Salut-Chicago/events/17257285/

Here’s a list of the winemakers joining Ms. Anson for these tastings, followed by a short video I conducted with them earlier this week.  There were so many questions I didn’t get to ask them, so I am excited about meeting this group again this Thursday.

Christine Nadalie of Chateau Beau Rivage (Bordeaux Superieur)

Cecile Verdier Mallie of Chateau Brethous (Cotes de Bordeaux)

Tristan Bouscasse of Chateau Cantinot (Cotes de Bordeaux, Blaye)

Johan Jonck of Chateau L’Esperance (Cotes de Bordeaux, Blaye)

Jerome Bonaccorsi of Chateau La Rivalerie (Cotes de Blaye)

Andrea Robinson and her "The One" Stemware

Today I was honored to meet Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson at the first major tasting sponsored by new Chicago distributor Tenzing. Fernando and Doug, thank you for the invitation to your event, and Andrea, I really enjoyed sharing some time with you and discussing your career and current projects.

YouTube Interview with Andrea Robinson (click here)

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with passed hors d’oeuvres of seared ahi tuna on rice crackers with tamari ginger glaze. At 6:30 p.m., guests will enjoy a stacked wedge salad with stilton blue cheese and pepper bacon followed by a choice of grilled filet mignon or herb crusted halibut with whipped yukon gold potatoes, roasted asparagus and grilled portobellos. And, last but not least, mini cheese cakes with raspberry coulis will be served! Each course will be paired with the perfect wine.
 
Reservations for this special event are required and can be made by calling 312.335.4745; the price is $55, all inclusive. For more information, please call 312.335.4745 or visit www.leye.com/restaurants/directory/mity-nice.